Fixing Healthcare Podcast FHC #172: 91% of Americans get subsidized healthcare. What if it vanishes?
In this month’s Diving Deep episode of the Fixing Healthcare podcast, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr tackle one of healthcare’s most misunderstood facts: nearly 91% of Americans receive some form of government healthcare assistance.
Whether your insurance comes through an employer, the online health insurance marketplace, Medicare or Medicaid, the government is footing part of the bill. But as federal debt surges and lawmakers search for places to cut spending, those subsidies—and your coverage—may be in jeopardy.
Dr. Pearl breaks down each of the five main ways the government subsidizes healthcare and explains why those programs are now in the political crosshairs. He also offers solutions to America’s spiraling healthcare costs, ones that go beyond cutting services.
Later in the episode, the focus turns to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new Secretary of Health and Human Services, and what his policies might mean for the future of American medicine.
Kennedy has promised to address chronic disease, mental health and pandemic preparedness, but his vaccine skepticism and unscientific treatment suggestions could further undermine public trust and worsen health outcomes.
Click play to hear the full conversation or check out these useful links below.
HELPFUL LINKS
- 91% Of Healthcare Is Government Subsidized. Is Yours Safe? (Forbes)
- Americans Are Dying Younger: Will RFK Jr.’s Policies Help Or Harm? (Forbes)
- Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)
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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.
Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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